1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optical disc drive enclosures, and particularly to an optical disc drive enclosure for a front-loading optical disc drive.
2. Related Art
An optical disc drive has become a standard feature of a personal computer system, for recording information and/or playing music and/or video recordings. Various optical discs usable in such optical disc drives include CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory discs), CD-RWs (Compact Disc Rewritable discs), DVD-ROMs (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory discs), etc.
A typical optical disc drive module (“disc drive”) mainly includes a tray for receiving and carrying an optical disc, a spindle motor for rotating the optical disc, a pickup unit for reading information contained in the optical disc, and a frame for supporting the above-mentioned components. The disc drive is completely received in an optical disc drive enclosure. A conventional disc drive enclosure includes an upper cover, a lower cover, and a front panel. The assembled upper cover, lower cover, and front panel cooperatively define an inner space. The disc drive is received in the inner space. The front panel is generally formed of a plastic material. The front panel defines an opening for allowing a tray to extend out therethrough. A tray panel is engaged in the opening. A slot is formed at a back of the front panel, between the tray panel and a top edge of the front panel. The front panel is mechanically coupled to the upper cover.
However, the above-described disc drive assembly has some problems. The most serious of these problems stems from the rapid development of information technology, which has promoted the advancement of the technology of optical disc drives. One important advancement is that the driving speed of optical disc drives is becoming faster and faster.
In the above-described disc drive, the disc is loaded on a tapered portion of a spindle motor, and the disc is then held on the spindle motor by a magnetic clamp. Only a small portion of the disc around a center hole contacts the tapered portion of the spindle motor. At high drive speeds, internal stresses are concentrated around the center hole portion of the disc. The internal stresses may cause the disc to crack or shatter. This is particularly the case for inferior quality optical discs. Debris of the cracked disc may strike and damage the tray panel. The debris may even cause the tray panel to disengage from the front panel, whereby the debris may spatter out from the front panel and injure a user.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.